


Chef’s kiss

by BSib



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Cooking, Child Neglect, Cooking, F/M, Masturbation Interruptus, Past Child Abuse, Slow Burn, Swearing, ben needs a teacher
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-10-30 02:54:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20807345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BSib/pseuds/BSib
Summary: Fill for the @reylo_prompts CC prompt: “Ben wants to learn how to cook and he feeds Rey all the leftovers. She doesn't realize he is in love with her and after learning about her upbringing he tries to ensure there won't be a day when she is hungry.”





	1. Burned

**Author's Note:**

> So here I am with another prompt fill! Again, this one spoke to me so here I am. I’m really enjoying getting back into writing, and big shout out to [DarkKnightDarkSide](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkKnightDarkSide) for your help beta-ing this chapter and for the title suggestion!

  
Ben watched her. Not in the creepy, stalker way, (at least, that’s what he told himself) but in a caring, neighbourly way. He first noticed her at the mailboxes in the foyer, holding her bag of groceries in one arm and wrestling the key into her box with the other. 

“Shit” she muttered, as the eggs on top fell out of the bag and smashed on the floor.

He had moved to help her, but she had waved him away and he was already running late. But her accent had caught his notice. He’d always been a sucker for a British accent, so he started to watch for her. 

She lived on the floor below him, and he eventually introduced himself when again, she was struggling with a bag of food. He’d noticed a pattern by this point. She’d always have a big bag around payday, and smaller and smaller bags as the month wore on. It piqued his curiosity. He ran into her at the elevator, barely hanging on to her bag as she reached for the button. He pressed it for her instead and helped right the bag. He looked over it into her shocked hazel eyes, and found he couldn’t look away. 

“B...Ben” he stumbled out, as the elevator pinged. 

“Hmm?” She hummed, stepping round him and inside. 

“I’m Ben” he managed to get out. 

“Rey” she called as the doors closed. She didn’t have a spare hand to hold the door, and Ben was still too starstruck to worry that he’d be waiting for the next. 

Over the next few weeks, Ben realised he was eating take out every night. It was the items he had seen in Rey’s bags that made him realise this. He wondered what they would become, and how. And if he started to learn how to cook, he thought, maybe he would have something to talk to her about the next time he saw her. He imagined bumping into her holding his own bag, and sharing what they were making that night, exchanging recipe ideas and tips. And maybe he could then start saving for something. Definitely not their wedding. Not that at all. 

The first step, he decided, was finding something to make. He entertained the idea of a cooking class for about five minutes before deciding it would involve interacting with far too many people. He figured that he could google everything else, and that would serve him well now too. His mom had always talked about a great website for finding recipes. Pinterest? Yes, that was it. He grabbed his MacBook and brought up the site. 

He searched ‘simple recipe’. The design of the site was confusing, and hundreds of pictures appeared with names like “simple Thai noodle bowl” and “garlic butter shrimp”. Nothing that sounded too easy. He scrolled for a while and came across “mushroom chicken casserole”. He liked mushrooms and chicken, so decided he would give it a try. Clicking on the picture, he was redirected to a blog of a mom raving about the recipe, and how she had inspired to make it when she had a load of mushrooms that needed using up. After skimming through her ramblings, he reached the recipe. 

“Could you not have started with that?” Ben thought, grabbing a pen and paper to write down the ingredients so he could go grab them after work before coming home. 

He had hoped he’d run into Rey as he came home with a bag full of more than just coffee and snacks, but he was not so fortunate. Once back inside his apartment, he pulled up the webpage again, scrolled to the end, and started following the instructions. 

An hour later, he was pulling the tray out of the oven with smoke billowing out alongside. He grabbed the serving spoon to see what he could maybe salvage, but it was a solid mess. Putting the tray down carefully on the side, he slipped his oven gloves off and quickly grabbed one of his cheap plates and threw it on the floor, screaming as he did so.

“FUCK! Fuck, fuck, FFFUUUCCKKKK!” He ran his hands through his hair as he marched around the kitchen, throwing another of the plates for good measure. 

He eventually got to his sofa and collapsed face down on it. This was going to be harder than he thought. 

A few minutes later there was a pounding on his door. He pulled his head up ever so slightly to grumble “go away.” But the pounding continued. He groaned as he pushed himself up and shuffled over to the door. He roughly pulled it open to see those gorgeous eyes glaring at him. _ Shit_. 

“Are you aware of the racket you are making?” Rey spat at him. 

_Shit, _he thought again_. _She lived below him. He knew that. He had kept a close lid on his temper for so long this was his worst outbreak for a while. And she had been disturbed by him. 

“Are you going to answer me?” She asked, and he realised he’d just been gaping at her. 

“Um, I’m - I was cooking - Or trying to. And I just. It didn’t. I burned it. So...I’m sorry - I don’t - I’m not good - I have a temper...” he stuttered out, unable to string more than a few words together.

“Well, that’s no reason to stomp around and break things and disturb someone having a perfectly lovely nap.” She said. “Please don’t do it again.” She turned and started to walk towards the elevator.

“Wait!” He called, before he could stop himself. She turned around. “I’m... I’m new to this. I could use a teacher” 

Her eyes widened. “You’re...new to cooking? How old are you?” 

“Yeah...I’m...I normally order in,” he replied lamely, shifting his weight to rest on the door frame. 

Rey started to walk in. “You... order in? Every night?”

“Yeah. I do. Problem?” 

“Hmph” she grumbled, standing back in front of him to continue the conversation. 

He looked at the ground sheepishly and ran his fingers through his hair again. 

“Can I see what you were making?” She asked. “I hate to toot my own horn but I’m not too bad at cooking. Maybe I can help?” She asked tentatively. 

Ben looked up in shock. She clearly got his earlier hint. Backing away, she wandered in and headed straight for the smell of burning. 

“Jesus Christ, how long did you cook it for?” She asked, bringing her hand to her mouth to cover her spluttering. 

“Thirty minutes. Same as the recipe. Look.” He quickly turned his MacBook for her to look at the page. 

“And what temperature was the oven on?”

“Um, the highest?” He answered as a question. 

Rey rolled her eyes. “You clearly need a teacher. Why didn’t you just book a cooking class?” Her voice was full of derision. 

“You saw how nervous I am. I,” he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “I do even worse in crowds.” 

“Oh. Sorry,” she said. “You could still eat this. Let me give it a try.” She grabbed the spoon and scraped some of the congealed, burned sauce and mushrooms onto it.

“No. Please don’t!” 

But it was too late. She had already eaten some...and spat it out. “Oh my god. That was awful.”

“I tried to warn you” he said with a smile. 

“Fine. I’ll do it.” She resolved. 

“Do what?” 

“Teach you.” 

Ben’s whole face lit up. “You will?” 

Rey nodded. “But not tonight. You ruined my nap, and I tried your god awful food. Right now, you’re ordering us Chinese food and we’re going to plan.”

Her tone brooked no argument, so he grabbed his MacBook and made his normal Chinese order, but this time for two. He hoped it may be his last regular order there. 

Ben and Rey had agreed over the takeout containers that she would come over the next night after work and she would teach him to cook a simple mac and cheese. She explained that Pinterest should be left well alone until he could make some basic things. It made sense, his mother was amazing in the kitchen. He should have known her level of skill was beyond him. 

Rey left him with a list of stuff to get, and the promise to return the next night. Ben waved goodbye, even if she was only going a few hundred metres. They had exchanged numbers as well, and he was looking forward to seeing her again. It might not have worked out exactly as he planned, but so far his idea was paying off. He had spent a whole evening with her without embarrassing himself too much (the awkward stammering at the start of the evening forgotten), and he was going to spend the rest of the next night with her as well.

He grabbed the plates and started to clear up the containers (Rey had shown him how to scrape and soak the oven tray containing the remains of his attempt so it would be easier to clean). He was removing the oven tray from the sink to transfer it to the dishwasher when he heard his phone vibrate. 

**Rey:** _Hey. Was great to chat and hang out tonight. Thanks for dinner x_

Ben was surprised. No one ever texted him unless they wanted something. And she seemed to have texted him just to say thanks. He smiled. 

**Ben:** _ No problem sweetheart. See you tomorrow. Sleep well x _

It was not his normal style, but he couldn’t help himself. She had sent a kiss first, it was only right to send one back. At least he thought so. Maybe he needed to ask Hux and Poe for help. They knew about these things. 

Before he could freak out too much, Ben finished loading the dishwasher, started its cycle, and headed to bed. He’d talk to his friends tomorrow to help him prepare for his first cooking lesson. 


	2. Mac and cheese

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben has a mini meltdown, and has his first cooking lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the lovely comments and those who have left kudos so far. You are all great people and have no idea how much it makes me smile. 
> 
> I never know what to tag, so if you think there is a tag missing so let me know and I’ll add it! 
> 
> Thanks to Liv for beta-zing this chapter!

The next morning, Ben woke up feeling happy and excited for the first time in ages, and for a moment he couldn’t remember why. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and got out of bed, he recalled the amazing evening he had spent in Rey’s company. They talked easily together, and he was going to spend more time with her tonight. 

Tonight. It was then that all his fears rose and started to crowd his mind. While he had managed to spend the evening with her yesterday without making a fool of himself, he doubted he could knock it out of the park twice in a row. What else could they talk about? 

He needed help. While pulling his running gear on, he quickly sent out an SOS to the two guys he thought might help. They weren’t what he considered friends (he didn’t have any of those), but Hux was a decent coworker he had grabbed drinks with a few times, and he’d grown up next door to Poe. 

**Ben: ** _ Help. I’ve got a beautiful girl coming round to teach me to cook tonight and I have no idea what I’m doing.  _

He sent the same message to both, but knew they wouldn’t be up yet. He slipped his running shoes on and headed out for his regular route, hoping it would clear his head and settle his anxiety a little, too. 

When he got back, he had two new messages on his phone. 

**Hux: ** _ Why are you involving me in this? And when did you decide to learn to cook? Don’t tell me this is all a scheme to get into her knickers? _

**Poe: ** _ Oh you old dirty dog! Go get her boy! _

Ben decided to deal with Poe first. He could always continue the conversation with Hux in the office if needed. 

**Ben:** _ I know, I know. But you know me. I don’t know how to speak to girls. What do I say to her?  _

**Poe: ** _ Just be yourself.  _

**Poe: ** _ Scrap that. You suck. Be everything you’re not. Calm. Cool. Smooth. Woo her.  _

**Ben: ** _ I think that may be a bit beyond my abilities. I just need to know what to talk to her about. We did ok last night but I don’t know if I can do it again. _

**Poe: ** _ Last night?! You don’t need my advice! Just kiss her already! _

Ben shook his head. Poe was being as much help as he’d thought he’d be. Which wasn’t much. By now, Ben had reached the office and he sought out Hux to see if he’d be any more help. 

“Solo! Why are you texting me at that god awful hour to ask dating advice? I’m not a fucking ‘Dear Abby’ column you can ask to help you meet Miss Right.” Hux’s voice rang out before Ben could even look for him. 

“I was hoping you’d be a little sympathetic and helpful. Not act like an asshole.” Ben called back. 

“That’s my modus operandi. You should know better.” Hux came alongside Ben and gave him a good-natured slap on the shoulder. He talked a good game, and though very competitive, Hux did have a good relationship with Ben. Or good for the limit of what he could offer. 

“Look, just fuck her and get it out your system. You’ll feel much better. Or at least easier to deal with!” Hux laughed as he walked back to his desk. Ben ran his fingers through his hair again and sat down, ready to trawl through his emails. 

At least it was Friday. He could relax and sleep in tomorrow. After a hopefully successful cooking lesson. 

-

Rey had agreed to come round after work, around 6pm. It gave Ben a chance to go to the store on his way back and pick up what they would need. As he was clearing up his desk, his phone buzzed with a new message. 

**Rey:** _ You got the list? Need me to remind you of anything? X _

His face lit up. He couldn’t help his reaction to her messages. 

“What are you looking all goofy about, Big Ears?” Hux called as he passed Ben’s desk on his way to the elevator. “Grocery bag woman sending you pictures of her melons?” 

Ben chucked one of the rubber ducks he kept by his screen at Hux’s face, but dodged it, leaving Ben to go pick it up while Hux left laughing. With the duck back in his rightful place, Ben tapped a quick reply while he waited for the next elevator. 

**Ben:** _No, I’ve got your list. Want me to pick anything else up for you? X_

He reached the ground floor and was heading out the door when her reply came through. 

**Rey: ** _ If you could pick up a tin of hot dogs as well that’d be great. They go amazing with the mac and cheese x _

**Ben: ** _ as you wish, sweetheart x _

He knew the reference was risky, but he couldn’t help himself when it came to her. Maybe he would be ok after all. 

—

It was one thing to be himself when taking the time to consider what he sent in a text, but to be confronted by her very real presence at his door, bang on at 6pm, was another. 

“Er, do you want me to teach you to cook? Because you might need to let me in.” She joked, holding empty tupperware containers in her arms. 

“Um, yes. Yes. Of course. Sorry.” He stuttered, stepping out of the frame and trying to make himself smaller as he closed the door while Rey showed herself into the kitchen. 

When Ben got home, he had put the ingredients out on the side, ready for her to work with. She looked over everything and nodded to herself. 

“Great. You got everything. You ready to start?” She asked, turning to face him. Ben pulled his eyes from her perfectly shaped ass and looked into her eyes. 

“Um, yeah, I guess?” 

Rey seemed to be getting used to his anxiety as she simply smiled sympathetically at him. 

“Ok. First, we wash our hands.” She explained, as though to a child. 

_ God, she must think I’m an idiot,  _ Ben thought.  _ Although I’ve not exactly given her a reason to think otherwise. _

Rey moved over to the sink and washed her hands first, moving out of the way to let him do the same. 

“Where are the towels?” She asked, looking around with her hands dripping onto the draining board. 

“Oh, second drawer,” Ben replied, focusing on diligently cleaning his hands as she had, trying to mimic her movements. He was determined to be a good student. Rey found them, taking one out and then passing it to him as he finished. 

“Now we're all washed up, we need to bring a pan of water to boil for the macaroni. Where are they?” Ben moved to the cupboard they were kept and brushed past her. His cheeks flushed as he did so, but he busied himself with shoving his pans into her hands. 

Rey laughed. “Thanks, but we only need one pan for now.” She looked through the pans and handed a large sized pan to him. 

“Fill that halfway with water, then put it on the stove top to boil.” She instructed. Ben liked the tone of her voice. Before he could let his mind wander too far into the bedroom, he started filling the pan. 

He could hear Rey mumbling something and rustling the packets as he did so. When the pan was filled halfway, he brought it to the stove and turned up the heat. He felt her come up behind him, peering over his shoulder. 

“Good, now, give me your hands.” She tugged shoulder and tried and turn him, but he was too large. He followed her direction though and held his large hands in front of him, like a child expecting a birthday present. 

She stared down, then lifted her eyes to his face, biting her lip. All he could think was how much he wanted to be the one doing the biting. 

“Here,” she said, thrusting the packet of pasta and proceeded to instruct him how to measure it out with his hands. While it seemed like a lot, Rey seemed happy with the amount, and Ben would trust her with his life, despite speaking to her properly for only one day.

This was how they continued afterwards. Rey would hand him things and told him how to proceed. He listened carefully and tried to take everything on board. Her expression was serious, watching his movements closely. Clearly his screw up with the casserole the day before had been more serious than he realised if she trusted him this little. Ben cherished the moments her hand brushed his, or she moved him slightly to the side to check on the pasta, or give the sauce another stir. 

The time passed too quickly, and after only thirty minutes, they had a huge pot of mac and cheese topped with chopped up hot dogs. Ben’s eyes widened at the amount. Sure, he could eat, but this was more than he could manage. 

Once Rey had finished dishing up, she reached for her tupperwares and put it into those as well. His confusion must’ve been written all over his face as she explained, “You want to leave this out while it cools, then put it in the fridge. You’ll then have leftovers for the next few days.”

“So I don’t just cook for tonight?” He asked, still perplexed. 

“Isn’t that the point of this? You’re trying to save money?”

Ben stared, his eyes wide open. He couldn’t think of a response. 

“You should cook more than you need for that meal.” Rey continued. “It’s cheaper to buy more, cook it, then store it in your fridge and freezer.” 

“Oh. I guess that makes sense.” Ben finally managed to say as they took their bowls to the table. 

“Yeah. It’s how I do things. Those bags I struggle with at the start of each month… I use my paycheck to get a load of food in, cook it up and store it. I then only need to top it up a couple of times. Helps me budget, and I’ve always got something to eat. Healthier too.” 

It was the longest speech Ben had heard Rey say, and there was something about it that sounded rehearsed. Well practiced. Like she had said it many times before. Ben nodded along. 

“Anyway.” She continued, taking a big breath. “How come you didn’t learn this stuff sooner?”

Ben suspected she had revealed more than she had meant to. He kept having to remind himself they were basically strangers, but this could be a way to learn more, really build a relationship with her. 

“My mom always cooked for me and my dad. He joked that she ran her kitchen like a General, so we kept out of the way. Then when I went to college I just ate out a lot because I could, and I didn’t have the time to bother with learning. And I’ve managed pretty well so far.” He looked up from his bowl, having become engrossed in the cheesy pasta before him. 

This was his moment to learn more about her. “I never knew how unusual it was. How did you learn this stuff?”

“Life. There was no one who would cook beautiful meals for us. Me.” Rey shrugged like it was nothing. “I learned because I had to. I didn’t have much, so I made do. Now I can feed myself, I make sure I don’t have to do it too often.”

“Your parents didn’t have much money?” He probed. 

“You could say that.” Rey said, ending that topic of conversation. 

“What made you want to learn at last?” She flipped the conversation back around so fast Ben almost got whiplash. 

“You.” Ben has been so caught up in the sudden change in direction that he spoke without thinking. Fortunately, Rey didn’t seem to notice, or pretended not to, the intimate look in his eyes. 

“Me?” She asked, the corners of her mouth starting to rise again and light returned to her eyes. 

Ben cleared his throat and shifted slightly in his chair before continuing. “Yeah. I was always intrigued by what I saw sticking out of your grocery bags whenever we shared an elevator. I wondered what they would become. It sparked my interest in cooking.”

It wasn’t the full truth, but it was better than spilling his love for her all over the dining table. He was sure that wasn’t polite after just two evening spent eating together. Fortunately, she accepted the explanation quite easily. 

“Well, I’m glad I could inspire your culinary journey,” she replied with a smile. It blinded Ben. No one ever looked at him with such joy, and she seemed to share it so freely. It triggered a similar smile to break out from his own lips. It felt so strange to smile so widely, but he couldn’t stop himself. 

-

The rest of the conversation flowed easily, and Ben suggested, as they washed up, that as the leftovers were still warm, she stay and watch some tv while they waited. He wouldn’t want to get anything wrong with putting them away, he explained. It was a weak excuse, but she agreed easily enough. 

He pulled up Netflix, and The Princess Bride was there in front of them. 

“Oh, I love this movie!” Rey exclaimed. 

“You do?” Ben asked sheepishly. This worried him, given his reference to it earlier that day. 

“Yeah. I know it’s kind of long, but can we watch it?” She asked, “it’s been years since I saw it.”

“Uh, yeah. Of course. I don’t mind,” he replied, trying to seem nonchalant. Maybe if he pretended he didn’t mind either way, she wouldn’t make the connection with his text. 

The film started up, and they sat next to each other on the couch. Rey was curled up with her knees tucked under her on one side, while Ben couldn’t help but spread out. Being so tall, it was the only way he could feel comfortable. 

‘As you wish’ came and went without comment, and Ben allowed himself to truly relax into the film. She was in his apartment. They were watching a film together. They were getting along. This was good. 

About half way through the movie, Ben heard a slight snoring coming from the other side of the couch. Rey had fallen asleep. He smiled. He was about to wake her when his phone vibrated. 

**Poe: ** _ So, how's it going dude? _

**Poe: ** _ You kiss her yet? _

**Ben: ** _ No _ .

**Poe: ** _ Come on, man. You have to give me more if you want my advice. _

**Ben: ** _ I thought I didn’t need your advice. And I’m doing ok. She’s asleep on my couch.  _

**Ben: ** _ but what do I do now? _

**Poe: ** _ That depends on how you got her to fall asleep ;) _

**Ben: ** _ We cooked. We ate. There were a lot of leftovers that she put in tupperware containers she brought with her that still needed to cool and I asked her to watch a film while we waited. She fell asleep. Get your mind out of the gutter.  _

**Poe:** _ But it’s where I live!  _

**Poe: ** _ Let her sleep. Wake her at the end of the film. Then kiss her! _

**Ben: ** _ Ok. I’ll wait ‘til the film ends. It’s nearly done now anyway. If you really want all the details let’s get drinks tomorrow? _

**Poe:** _Yes, mate! I’ll text in the morning. In case your plans change ;)_

Ben rolled his eyes and put his phone back on the coffee table. As the film drew to a close, Rey gave a loud snore that was almost a snort and woke herself up. Ben couldn’t help the grin that broke over his face. 

“Good dreams?” He asked cheekily. 

“Hmm? Oh. Sorry! It’s been a long week. And when I’m full and tired and warm I just drift off.”

“Not to worry. We can always watch it again.” Ben realised what he had inadvertently suggested and started back peddling. “I mean, another time. Maybe. If you want?”

Rey rubbed her eyes. “Sounds nice,” she said with a smile. 

“Great. Good.”

“I mean, I still need to give you more lessons. You’re not going to feed yourself forever with mac and cheese.”

He laughed, “No. I guess not. Thanks, by the way.”

“No problem. Well, I better be going.” Rey said, standing and heading to the door. 

“Hold up,” Ben said, also standing but moving to the kitchen instead. Rey waited by the door. 

Ben came round the corner with the leftovers. “Here. I don’t need them. You take them.” 

Rey looked stunned and confused. “But… the point…”

Ben shook his head and cut her off. “No. I insist. I don’t need it.”

Rey’s confusion turned to offence. “And you think I do?!”

“No! No. Fuck.” Ben swore. “I just. I want you to have it. Please.”

Rey’s expression softened slightly, and she accepted the boxes reluctantly. “Ok. For now. I’ll text you about next week?” 

Ben nodded. “It’s a date.”

Rey left and Ben closed the door, then rested his back against it. A night of mixed results, he felt, but he was delirious with happiness that he hadn’t screwed up so badly she wouldn’t come back again. 

Now there was just Poe to deal with tomorrow. 


	3. Broken eggs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a peek into Rey’s thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE THE UPDATED RATING
> 
> It’s only a passing mention so please feel free to skip over that part if you need too. 
> 
> The chapter count may go up by one but I should know for sure next week. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**Rose: ** _ So, spill! How was it? Is he really as hopeless as his disaster yesterday implied?? X _

**Finn: ** _ Yeah, peanut! We want all the gossip! X _

Rey was making her way back to her apartment when the group chat lit up with her friends desperate to know how her cooking class with sexy elevator man had gone. 

She had noticed Ben as soon as she had moved into the building. He was so tall and handsome, but he always seemed so absorbed in himself, striding around without glancing down. But she suspected it wasn’t pride or haughtiness. Especially after the broken eggs incident.

He had been in a rush, she could see that clearly, yet he had moved to help her clean up the mess. She was about to cry, however, having lost some of her food, and waved him off. She did not want her crying her eyes out over a few lost breakfasts to be the way they met. When he was out the door, she placed the grocery bag down and picked up the egg carton. Picking it up, only 2 of the eggs had broken, and she carefully placed them back in the bag. She pulled some tissues from her handbag and wiped the remains of the eggs off the floor. This was better. There would only be one morning without breakfast. 

Rey had a good job now, and while most people would not cry over a couple of broken eggs, Rey couldn’t help it. She had grown up without regular meals, her parents addictions meaning their benefits barely left enough for her to eat, and she had learned early to cook with barely nothing. She’d managed to pull herself out of the council estate she’d grown up on, going to the local university thanks to government support, and now scoring a job in the states. She never wanted to go back to that dump. 

The job meant she had what many would consider a comfortable salary, she could not break old habits. After paying her rent, bills, and loans, she carefully budgeted her remaining money into food and savings. The savings gave her peace of mind. She gave only a tiny amount of her money into ‘treats’, which would generally go on meals or drinks out with her friends on special occasions. 

So, while she  _ could  _ afford more eggs, she didn’t  _ need _ more eggs. It was only one breakfast she wouldn’t have. If she slept in one day over the weekend, she wouldn’t even notice, she reassured herself. 

-

They continued to pass one another in the foyer and elevator for a few months, and Rey was steadily building up her confidence to speak to him, but it was him who made the first move in the end. 

It was just after payday again, and she was struggling with another large bag of groceries but this time it was the elevator call button she was trying to reach. His large hand swooped past hers and pressed it before helping right the bag. 

“B...Ben” he stuttered out as the elevator arrived and she went inside. 

She hummed in confusion at his word. 

“I’m Ben!” He shouted at her, not moving into the elevator with her. 

“Rey,” she called back as the doors closed and she was whisked to her floor. At least Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome had a name now. 

-

Rose and Finn, as always, had kept asking Rey for updates. She had become friends with them quickly upon her arrival in the states - they took her under their wings at the resistance and helped her feel like more than just a cog in a machine. They were happy together, having been dating for years, and they were desperate for her to be the same, so they jumped on any possible man in her life. She had found it best to get ahead of the curve and keep them in the loop than let them speculate or send her on yet another disastrous blind date. 

When she told them about the elevator incident, they really turned up the pressure on her to ‘tap that’. Despite all their advice on how to start a conversation or find ways to run into him, he seemed to just disappear from her life for the next few weeks. 

Until, that night. She’d had a really stressful day and just wanted to let off some steam and relax. And there was one sure fire way to do that. Her stomach was rumbling, but she knew she had some leftovers in the freezer she was reheating tonight. Rey settles down on her sofa, and let her mind drift and think of large hands covering hers, slipping up her arms, landing on her chest. Her mind slipped into the fantasy, his whisky eyes boring into hers, and her hands moved slowly down into her waistband…

“EGHAFHHWHDFCCKK” a loud smash and muffled shout pulled her out of the fantasy that was coming from the apartment above. 

Rey cursed and put herself back together. She’ll teach whoever disturbed her fantasies a lesson about common courtesy towards your neighbour. As she was pulling her trousers back up, she heard more shouting and smashing, making her more determined to give her neighbour a piece of her mind. 

-

Rey was so mad she took the stairs instead of the elevator to try and give herself more time to compose herself. But she still pounded on the door when she got there. 

She couldn’t hear anyone moving, and it had all gone suspiciously quiet in the apartment. She knocked again, with more force. This time, she heard a groan and some shuffling, before the door was wrenched open and she found herself looking up and into the face of the man she had been fantasising about minutes earlier. 

It only annoyed her more. 

She could smell burning wafting out of his apartment as she tore into him, blaming her ire on him ruining her nap and not her pleasure, and turned to go. 

But then he had sounded so helpless and it did smell bad. So she had gone in and helped herself to see how bad he really was.

He was terrible. He looked like a poor puppy who didn’t know what to do or how to help himself. A very large and sexy puppy, true, but she could not leave him. She found herself offering to teach him, and then spent the rest of the evening enjoying Chinese food (which she had not had in  _ forever _ and by god did it taste good) and the company very much. 

Ben may have stopped her from having an orgasm that night, but Rey was hoping fate had finally decided to intervene and give her access to the real deal. 

-

The following night, when she was instructing him in the  _ very basics  _ of making food, she discovered he had not been lying about how much cooking he knew. Just why he had taken on the task of learning, and starting with a Pinterest recipe the day before of all things, she did not understand. He had said he hadn’t signed up for a class because he wasn’t great with people, but there were such things as  _ online classes _ these days. But she was happy to help, as it gave her the excuse to spend time with him and get to know more about him. And she had the added bonus of having his number now. 

As she put the food into the boxes for leftovers, she realised just how privileged a life Ben had led so far if he didn’t even know why you would keep leftovers for so long. She could not comprehend how someone could live on take out for so long, and unwittingly shared more about herself as she was distracted by his confusion. 

Rey realised how much she had revealed, and quickly turned the question back on him, not only deflecting from herself but from a genuine curiosity of how he had lived with other people cooking for him for so long. 

When Ben asked how she had learned, his open face and soulful eyes drew more of her story out of her than she expected. He made her feel comfortable and safe, and Rey never shared this much with ‘new’ friends, but Ben seemed to have wrestled his way into her life with as much grace as he threw his door open to her the previous night. Hopefully she wasn’t getting in too deep, too soon, though. She wouldn’t be able to stand his pity, and closed down the topic of her past as soon as she could. 

Ben’s reveal that she had inspired his culinary journey had been a shock. Well, not her precisely, but the ingredients she bought. A warmth spread through her chest and she found herself straightening her back under his praise. She hoped her lessons would live up to his expectations.

-

When they’d finished eating, Ben had suggested she stay a little longer, implying the leftovers still needed to cool. Rey was fairly sure he could let them cool and put them in the fridge without her help, yet she didn’t want to leave his company either. She agreed to stay and watch something with him, and  _ The Princess Bride _ appeared immediately. 

As the film began, she remembered the message Ben had sent her earlier that day. 

_ As you wish x _

She had forgotten the reference. Had he meant it as a reference? It was quite obscure, and while he seemed happy to watch the film, he didn’t seem to be a huge fan. It could have been nothing. 

Rey played it cool as the line’s meaning was explained for the first time while she watched for any reaction from Ben, but the moment passed and she relaxed. It had been a long week, and before she knew it, her eyes were drifting closed…

-

Rey awoke to the sound of the credits rolling on the screen. She couldn’t believe she had fallen asleep. What would Ben think of her now? Had he thought her rude? Why hadn’t he woken her sooner?

He made a joke, and she explained about her week. 

“Not to worry. We can always watch it again. I mean, another time. Maybe. If you want?”

Rey was still bringing herself round from her nap, rubbing her eyes. “Sounds nice.”

“Great. Good.”

“I mean, I still need to give you more lessons. You’re not going to feed yourself forever with mac and cheese.” Rey was fully out of her nap now, and wanted to make sure he knew this wasn’t over. Yet. 

He laughed, “No. I guess not. Thanks, by the way.”

“No problem. Well, I better be going.” Rey began to excuse herself. She had just fallen asleep on his sofa after all. She couldn’t impose any longer. She gathered her things and headed for the door, when Ben stopped her, moving to the kitchen. She waited by the door. 

Ben came round the corner holding the tupperware boxes she had brought with her. “Here. I don’t need them. You take them.” 

“But… the point…” No. She didn’t want his pity. She did not need his food!

Ben shook his head and cut her off. “No. I insist. I don’t need it.”

“And you think I do?!” He has understood what she meant if not what she said about her past. Shit. She did not want this. She could look after herself. 

“No! No. Fuck.” Ben swore. “I just. I want you to have it. Please.”

It was the look in his eyes that made her relax. She couldn’t describe it, but her tummy did a small flip and before she realised, she had accepted, and they were making arrangements for the following week.

“It’s a date.” Ben has said as she left, a soft smile on his face, which Rey felt her own mouth mirroring. 

-

How could she explain all of this to Rose and Finn? She took a deep breath and dived in. 

**Rey: ** _ Come round later for coffee and I’ll tell you all about it. Ok? _

Better to explain face to face. There was too much to say over text. Her phone buzzed to life seconds later. 

**Rose:** _You’re on! We’re not busy today so how about just after lunch? 2ish? X_

**Rey: ** _ Sounds great! See you then. X _

-

Rose and Finn arrived about a quarter past two, typically late, but they had barely got in the door before they were quizzing Rey for all the details. 

They were amazed at how much Ben had to be talked through the most basic of tasks, and laughed that she had caused his foray into his new hobby. She was just explaining how she had fallen asleep afterwards (to much teasing from them both) when her phone buzzed with a message from the man in question. 

**Ben: ** _ Thanks for last night again. It was so good to eat proper food for a change. X _

The smile that broke over her face was a new one, and one that she was realising Ben was the cause of. Unfortunately, Rose and Finn noticed immediately. 

“Ohhh Peanut! What’s that smile about, hey?” Finn exclaimed. 

“It’s him, isn’t it?!” Rose said, a gleam in her eyes as she looked quickly between her partner and her friend. 

“Maybe…” Rey tried to deflect, but that wasn’t going to fly with these two. They knew her too well. 

Before she could react, Rose leant over and grabbed her phone. 

“Kisses?? You’re sending kisses to each other??” Rose shouted. Rey prayed Ben had gone out given how she had come to be his teacher. 

“That’s how I always end my texts!!” She stage whispered at them. Finn just gave her a knowing grin. 

“Suuure, peanut. Whatever you say.” 

“Rey, a man like that does NOT end his texts with kisses. Even if that’s what you always do.” Rose replied. 

“...what are you saying?” 

“Are you sure he’s as terrible a cook as you think he is?” Finn asked 

“Finn. No one could fake that.” Rey was almost as sure as she was making out. 

“And look, Finn, he’s calling her sweetheart!” Rose moved the phone to show him. 

“Those are private!” Rey stood up and tried to wrestle her phone off them. The result was them all getting tangled up and someone started tickling, at which point they all descended into giggles and screams until Rey was finally victorious and scurried back to her chair. 

“We’re just looking out for you.” Finn explained as they calmed down and took some deep breaths. 

“I know. But you don’t know him. He’s just… sweet and clueless. I don’t think he could fake that.” Rey shrugged

“You’re sure? You did tell us this all began because you heard him have a meltdown over some burned chicken.” Rose chipped in. 

“I think he was just so frustrated and disappointed and he had no way to let it out. You should meet him, then you’ll see what I mean.” 

“Uh-huh” Finn said. “And when will this be?”

Rey was stumped for a moment before an idea burst forth in her mind. “We’ll host a dinner party! When he’s learned to cook a few more things it’ll be a good challenge for him!” 

Rose and Finn burst out laughing. “Ok. Just please don’t poison us!” Finn got out between guffaws. 

Rey threw a few throw cushions at them, appreciating the name for the first time, before they moved on with their more normal topic of conversations; tv shows they were watching, gossip from the office, and the like. 

-

When Rose and Finn finally left, she pulled her phone back out and replied to Ben. 

**Rey: ** _ I had a great time. Think of something you always loved to eat as a kid and let me know on Monday so I can tell you what you’ll need to make it. I think you’ve got potential! ;) x _

The response was almost instantaneous. 

**Ben: ** _ Thanks, sweetheart. I’m glad you think I’m not hopeless x _

She appreciated Finn and Rose looking out for her, but how anyone could doubt the motives of someone so sweet and innocent, she just did not understand. 

  
  
  



	4. Spicy Curry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cooking lesson number2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So chapter count has increased by one. Ben keeps going more things that are pushing the plot back more and more, damn him!  
Still hoping to update once a week. This chapter is not betad because I only just finished it. If there are any glaring problems do let me know and I’ll fix them ASAP!

Ben sat in the bar, waiting for Poe to arrive to share how things were going. After their text conversation the previous day and evening, Poe had been very insistent on getting the whole story out of him as soon as possible. 

He kept glancing at his phone. He had text Rey mid-afternoon to thank her for coming round the previous evening and helping him out, but she had not yet replied. He tried to stay calm, thinking she must be busy on her Saturday with friends or other activities. Ben placed his order at the bar, and as he waited for the barman to get his beer he felt his phone vibrate. 

**Rey: ** _ I had a great time. Think of something you always loved to eat as a kid and let me know on Monday so I can tell you what you’ll need to make it. I think you’ve got potential! ;) x _

He smiled and quickly typed his response as his beer landed in front of him and a familiar arm wrapped around his shoulders. 

“Ben, buddy, good to see you!” Poe said, indicating to the retreating barman that he would have the same as Ben, “It’s been too long!”

Ben shrugged Poe’s arm off. It had been a couple of months, the last time had been for Poe’s birthday. He didn’t get along with Poe’s other friends much, though, so even when he was invited out with them he usually found something else to do with his time. So many new people made him nervous. What do you even _ say _to someone you just met? He always felt large and out of place, and his nerves made him clumsy so all Poe’s other friends must already think he’s an idiot of some sort. It was a miracle Poe kept trying, but Ben was grateful for that today. 

As the second beer appeared beside the first, Poe grabbed them both and he and Ben headed for a booth in the corner of the bar. Ben sat with the wall to his back, where he could easily see everyone else so no one could sneak up on him. 

“Come on then, Ben. How’d you do it? How’s you finally get the nerve to speak to elevator girl?” Poe asked taking a swig from the bottle. 

Ben ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t. She pounded on my door after I lost my temper for burning the first thing I ever tried to cook.” 

Poe nearly spat his beer across the table. 

“You… she… what?” his confusion was clear on his face.

“I tried to cook. I burned it. She heard me lose my temper and came to see what the fuss was about and, well, she let me have it.” Ben shrugged his shoulders, trying to play it significantly cooler than he had been during the actual events. Maybe he could actually appear competent in front of Poe for a change.

“But how did that lead to you spending time with her and not putting your foot in it? And she came _ back? _” 

“She did. She was so appalled she took pity on me and has taken me under her wing. She is teaching me to cook.” He explained as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and hadn’t caused him to spend the last few nights dreaming of her cooking all manner of wonderful things for him in a large kitchen in their house in the suburbs, baking with their two small children…

Poe shook his head at him. “And you like her?”

Ben couldn’t look him in the face. Damn his inability to hide his emotions.

“You do. And I doubt this is the whole story. Like, why did you suddenly decide to learn to cook?!”

Ben zeroed his gaze on his beer label, picking at the corners of it.

“It was for _ her _, wasn’t it? You’ve mentioned seeing all her food before… Damn, Solo, you got it bad.”

“Well if you’d given me better advice about trying to speak to her in the first place this may not have happened.” Ben bit out before he could stop himself.

“Whoa, dude.” Poe widened his arms in surrender, “I’m just surprised and trying to take it all in. This isn’t like you.”

“Sorry” Ben grumbled. He really couldn’t afford to alienate Poe right now. They’d had their share of fallouts over the years but when you had been friends for as long as they had, it was hard to stay away forever.

“I don’t know how I’m doing this. She makes me calm, relaxed, when we’re together in my place.” He shrugged.

“Ok. Then you don’t need my help. This isn’t some girl in the bar I’m trying to help you pick up. You found her all by yourself.” Poe smirked, emphasising the ‘all’.

“Thanks, man” Ben smiled at him, reassured by Poe’s words.

“No problem. But I want to meet her at some point. And try some of your infamous cooking,” he winked as he returned to his beer.

-

Ben had a rather enjoyable time out with Poe, and ended up staying out quite late. Poe had given him various pieces of advice regarding flirty texting and how to seduce Rey, but all said in good humour and Ben felt like his friend was there for him for a change. Although it felt like the change was more to do with him than with how Poe was treating him. Maybe Rey was helping more than his cooking. It was certainly something he should continue to observe.

He spent most of Sunday trying to figure out what he wanted to cook with Rey the following Friday. She had asked him what something he’d loved to eat was, and he wasn’t sure exactly what to suggest. He liked a whole lot of food, but none of it seemed particularly easy to cook. All his favourite meals from childhood seemed to take his mother hours to cook, and she was a seasoned chef. He had only cooked mac and cheese, what on earth could he make that he had enjoyed that they could manage with such a basic repertoire?

As he had done many nights before, Ben ordered in. It turned his mind to some of his favourite take out dishes, but again they seemed too much for him to cook. He didn’t want to admit defeat so easily, and decided to see if Hux had any suggestions.

**Ben: ** _ Hey idiot. What’s your favourite food? _

**Hux:** _ Fuck off _

**Ben: ** _ It was just a question, asshole. _

**Hux: ** _ Fuck. Off. _

Ben sighed and went back to his curry. Curry. Could they cook a curry together? It seemed not impossible, and he could eat curry for days. He decided it was worth asking.

**Ben: ** _ I’ve always enjoyed a good curry. Would that be simple enough for me to try? X _

**Rey: ** _ A curry would be perfect! You can always just buy some chicken and a premade sauce, but do you fancy trying your hand at making one from scratch? As you’re already learning you might as well do it properly. x _

**Ben: ** _ If you think that’s best, sweetheart x _

**Rey: ** _ Oh it’s easy. Everyone thinks it must be so tricky but you just need the right combination of herbs and spices. I’ll check through my stash tonight and let you know what to pick up. X _

**Ben: ** _ Herbs and spices? You’ve not stolen the colonel’s secret recipe have you? ;) X _

Ben wasn’t sure about the winky face, but Poe had suggested he try to be a bit more loose with his conversations with her and ‘emojis’ were apparently the way to do that. 

**Rey: ** _ haha I wouldn’t tell you if I had ;) x _

-

The next morning, Rey sent him the list of ingredients along with another smiley face and a kiss. Their next lesson wasn’t until Friday, and Ben headed into work wondering if he would speak to her between now and then. He hoped he would. He wanted this to be something more, after all. 

Hux was particularly grumpy and antagonistic in meetings, although Ben could not understand why. They had always had a back and forth, trading insults, competing for raises and promotions, but Ben had always considered him a friend. Given his recent interactions though, Ben was wondering if he had read the situation wrong. They did only talk in work, or when they did text it was work related. He had never compared the relationship to his one with Poe because he had known Poe longer. Ben shrugged the thoughts to the back of his mind. Hux was Hux. He was like that with most people. 

When Ben was on his way home, he stopped by the store to get the ingredients for Friday, mostly tins and things that would keep for a long while. He considered Rey’s words again from the previous week. She had learned to cook because she had to. She did not have someone who cooked for her. All the tupperware. Ingredients that last. Things that keep you full. He knew she was unlikely to tell him much more yet, given how things went the last time he pried into her history. 

He ran into Rey by the elevator on Wednesday. 

“Hey” she said, coming to stand by him as they waited to go up. She was wearing a long, worn coat to keep the fall chill off her, but he could see her office shoes and legs covered in tights. 

“Hi” he breathed out. The corners of her mouth turned up. 

“Good week?”

“Yeah. How’s the mac and cheese?” He asked as they stepped into the elevator. 

“Still good.” She replied, pressing both of their floors, “you’re not regretting giving it to me?”

He shook his head, moving into the corner and shifting stiffly, trying to take up as little space as possible despite his huge frame. Rey simply stood holding herself with a grace Ben knew he could never master. 

“Ok. Good.” The elevator stopped and she moved off. Why couldn’t elevators take longer? And why couldn’t he think of anything to say?!

“See you Friday!” She called as the doors began to close. 

“Um, yeah! See you…” he did not finish in time, and he learnt back, swearing under his breath. “Fuck. Get it together, Solo.”

He knew it was pointless, though. She was just being a helpful neighbor. He could only hope he didn’t screw up before he knew how to cook and they had built some sort of friendship outside it. 

-

Friday came around before he knew it. As with anything exciting, the final few hours getting through work were the longest of the week. He hadn’t text her after Wednesday; Poe had suggested he ‘play the game’ and ‘let her miss him’.

Hux had noticed Ben’s distracted demeanour at the office, commenting on his tapping pen and bouncing leg in the regular monthly office meeting. He had let it slide while their colleagues were around (who were always eager to avoid another blow up between the two managers and scuttled out as soon as the meeting was adjourned), but asked Hux to remain behind at the end. 

“You said to fuck off. So I did. Why are you suddenly interested in my life, Hux?”

“You know damn well why. It’s what we do. We rile each other up and fight for the best clients and make each other look back. It’s the way it’s always been. I don’t really care why you’re distracted, I was merely pointing it out to everyone else.” Hux gathered his papers and made to move out, “you thinking we’re _ friends _ just makes me realise how sad and pathetic you truly are. I may not have any friends either, Solo, but at least I made the decision for that.” 

Ben stood, making full use of his height. Everything Hux said rang like a bell of truth within him. He had been so blind. They may have gotten drinks occasionally, but they were when all the office had gone out and they had both sat in a corner drinking their beer in silence. 

“Very well, Hux. You’ve made your opinions clear. I will not make that mistake again. At least I am trying to improve myself. I doubt you will ever move beyond what you are now.” Ben moved around the long conference table and looked over the man he had considered a friend, “but if you decide to change your mind, I’ll be here for you.” 

Ben turned, walking out leaving Hux gaping like a fish. Ben felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders as he let the tension of all the little arguments and comments between them fall away. He had been so wrong, but letting Rey into his life was opening his eyes and allowed him to take control. Maybe he was giving her too much credit, they had only spent two evenings together after all, but her presence was nourishing him as nothing had before. 

As he sat back at his desk, he struggled to focus on the data before him. Rey was filling his mind and knowing he was just hours from seeing her again, learning more about her and how to nourish her in return, was too distracting for a boring Friday afternoon. He always worked extra hours here and there, and Ben decided he deserved an early finish. He turned the computer off, grabbed his things, and headed home to finish preparing. 

-

Ben spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning his apartment, especially the kitchen, to keep his mind clear and not freaking out about the evening. He found himself swinging between confidence and fear, excitement and nerves. When he was with Rey, he could be himself. She destroyed the walls he had built with her gentle encouragement and guidance as she taught him to cook, and it spilled over into the rest of their evening, but when he interacted with her beyond this sessions the nerves bubbles up within him. Cleaning was a good distraction. His apartment was always spotless, but he could always get an extra shine on his sink. 

Her knock on his door roused him from his focus of scrubbing the sink. He was disappointed he had not had time to change, his shirt had become quite damp with sweat thanks to his vigorous routine, and he hoped she wouldn’t mind. 

As soon as he opened the door, she walked in with even more boxes than the previous week and headed straight into the kitchen. He had laid out some pans he thought they might need next to the ingredients she had told him to get, and when she had put her burden down, he was graced with the smile she gave when he was doing something well. 

“All ready for round two-?” She said, turning, her eyes widening as she finally noticed the state of his shirt. 

“Um, yeah. I was just cleaning. I’ll go put, um, a fresh one…” he moved away, but her small hand wrapped around his arm. 

“Don’t bother. We’re just likely to get messed up as we cook. No point ruining another one.”

He smiled back at her.

“Great. Where do we start?”

-

Rey allowed Ben to do more things himself this time. She said she was impressed at how quickly he was picking things up, but he didn’t think it was appropriate to share that it was because he was becoming more used to her presence and was less distracted by the fact it was really happening and not all in his head. She generally stepped back, directing his actions, explaining why the ingredients created the curry that way, and what other spice combinations and in what quantities he should use to make other sauces. 

Rey moves behind him as he started to chop the onion and corrected his grip on the knife and rearranged the onion, explaining that he could avoid crying by not chopping through the base until he needed to. 

She pulled away as soon as she saw he was cutting evenly, and continued to instruct in other ways to cut various vegetables. Ben listened intently and tried to take it all on board. He had always been a diligent student, and even though he wanted the cooking lessons to last as long as possible he wanted to please Rey. She didn’t have to spend her time helping him, and he wanted her to feel it was well spent. 

When the curry and rice was cooking, he poured Rey some wine and they leant back against the counters, sharing about their week. 

“I’ve been thinking, Ben, it’s all very good you learning to cook for yourself, but the best thing about cooking is sharing it with those you love! I know this is only your second lesson, but I thought having something to prepare for would be a good motivator for you to practice in between. How does hosting a dinner party sound?” 

Ben choked slightly on his mouthful of wine. “A dinner party? Me? I… I wouldn’t know who to invite!” He spluttered, although Poe’s comments about eating his food came back to mind. 

“There’s… no one you’d invite?” Rey asked sadly

“Well, maybe one guy. There may have been two…” he thought back to his conversation with Hux but felt it was probably too soon to try and encourage him out of his box, “but aren’t dinner parties for more than three people?” 

Ben has always envisioned dinner parties as complex affairs for impressing acquaintances and building networks, busy with people and conversation like the ones his mother used to hold, while he was hurried upstairs to try and sleep through the noise. 

“Three is fine, but if you wanted a few more people I could always come along and bring a few friends”

“Hmm. You think it would be good for me?” He asked, Rey turning her body towards him. 

“Yes.”

“And you’re sure your friends will want to come?” He looked down into her eyes, searching for truth. 

“Definitely.” She sipped at her glass, flicking her eyes up at him and back down to the floor. Ben found himself being drawn towards her, some strange force pulling his face down to hers. He reached for her chin when the bubbling of the rice water spilt over the side and drew her attention towards it. 

“Oh, where did the time go? We need to turn it off and leave the rice to cook off the heat for another ten minutes” she rushed over to do as she had said, leaving Ben feeling a fool.

“Ah. Great. Thanks for the tip.” 

“Let’s set the table while we wait.” She added, moving to the cutlery drawer and Ben, unsure again, following her like a disappointed puppy. 

The rest of the evening passed calmly, sharing more about their jobs and general loves. Ben learned how Rey had come here for work . Rey declined to stay to watch another movie, claiming she was tired, but Ben suspected it had something to do with what had passed between them earlier. There were lots of leftovers again, and he tried to thrust them upon her again. 

“We’ll share them.” She said cheerfully. “That’s why I brought more boxes” and she divided them equally. 

“But -“ he began 

“No. You bought all the ingredients. I don’t know why you want me to have it all, but I can’t take it all. This is the only way I’m accepting anything.” She helps the boxes out as a plea. 

He took them from her arms. “Good” she said, “and your homework…”

“Homework?” He raises an eyebrow at her curiously. 

“Yes. It’ll take forever for you to learn with single lessons. It won’t be too difficult. And don’t worry, I’m not a strict teacher. No punishment for a late submission.” She winked at the last part and Ben felt his mouth go dry. 

“Um. Ok. Er-“

Rey laughed, but touched his shoulder, “Honestly, Ben. It’ll be fine. I’ll text you the details” she rubbed his shoulder a couple of times before grabbing her share of the leftovers. 

“Same time next week?”

“It’s a date”


	5. Soup for the soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a short chapter today I'm afraid. But next chapter is the dinner party, and it'll all come together *evil laugh*

**Rey:** _Good morning! You’re mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make scrambled eggs. You can make it for a tasty breakfast or lunch that costs you pennies! I’ll send the details through now. _

Ben was awoken on Saturday morning by the buzzing of his phone with the message from Rey. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and tucked his arm behind his head while he waited for the instructions. 

As he waited, he pulled him walked out of bed and got into his workout gear to head off to his regular gym session. Anything she suggested he get he could pick up on his way back. 

The list was fairly short in the end (just eggs, milk, and butter) and her instructions seemed very straightforward. At least, simpler than the complicated list of directions on the Pinterest recipe that had started this whole saga. 

Instead of grabbing his normal post-workout brunch, he went to the store to grab the ingredients and make his own protein rich lunch instead. 

-

Ben smiled as he followed Rey’s instructions. He could hear her voice in them, gently directing him, scolding him before he burnt the butter and discolouring the eggs, saving them. She had picked up on what help he needed, and 5 minutes after breaking the first egg he had a large plate of scrambled eggs to eat. 

He sat down at his table, missing her presence on the other side, and realised he had not replied to her earlier message, being distracted by his workout. Before he could change his mind, he typed out a message, snapped a picture, and sent it. 

**Ben: ** _ So what’s my grade? _

**Rey:** _Ooo they look crummy!_

Ben was taken aback. Crummy? Was that some British slang for bad? But he had followed all her instructions? Where had he gone wrong?

His hand gripped the fork tighter and tighter, he could feel the metal biting into his hand when he received another message. 

**Rey:** _ Sorry! I meant look scrummy (delicious). Stupid autocorrect. Definitely an A+ ;) x _

Ben let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding, and began eating the eggs while he typed back. 

**Ben: ** _ You had me worried I was going to poison myself there sweetheart x _

**Rey: ** _ You’re good, Ben. You have to have more faith in yourself. You just choose the  _ worst  _ recipe to start with x  _

He smiled at that. She thought he was good. His heart swelled with warmth. He could do this. 

**Ben: ** _ I’ll try, sweetheart. It seems your encouragement is all I need x  _

-

For the following week, Rey would send Ben a recipe each morning for him to try and make by himself. They were always only a few, cheap ingredients but, once cooked, became delicious, filling meals. Rey also reminded him about hosting a dinner party, saying her friends would need a few dates for them to consider, and did he and his friend(s) have a preference?

He decided to leave Hux alone a little longer, and messaged Poe instead about the idea. 

**Poe: ** _ Do I want to come and taste your food and meet this Rey girl?! Of course, dude! Just let me know when. I’m fairly free for the next month or so.  _

Ben passed the details on to Rey, and she suggested a week on Friday would be good. Ben doubted if this would be enough time, but she seemed confident in his abilities.

**Rey: ** _ Like I’ve been saying. Faith. In. Yourself. You’ve done really well with your homework. And if you can’t trust yourself, trust me ;) x _

Ben could do that. 

-

Friday night came around again, and they were making soup. Rey had arrived with her bag of tupperware. While he waited for her, Ben had prepared the vegetables, feeling more confident after the homework she had set. He had always watched what he ate, even though it was always prepared by someone else but he finally felt he could manage if he needed to, and he was proud of the progress he was making. Rey seemed to be too, smiling at the work he had started.

“You’re going to be my best student if you keep this up,” she joked, “not that I have any others. But always room for improvement!”

Ben laughed, “Well, I believe the teacher is ultimately responsible for their student’s progress.” 

Rey turned with a hint of mischief in her eyes. “Is that so? You’ll never be top of the class with that attitude. Maybe you need to see me after class to discuss it.” She winked at him.

Ben held his hand to his heart, “You wound me. You know I meant no disrespect.” He moved towards her, towering over her as she backed up against the cabinet.

“I’ll let it go, this time…” Rey breathed, her eyes flickering between his eyes and his large frame, when her stomach rumbled. “And that’s the bell.”

The moment was broken, and Rey pushed him back to scuttle past him to inspect his work. Following Rey’s instructions only this time, the vegetables were set to boil. He wanted to do well, but he did miss Rey’s hands touching his and guiding him. As he was checking whether the soup was ready to be blended, she touched his back and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Sorry,” she said, removing her hand, and Ben instantly felt the loss of it. “I just wanted to see how they were doing.”

“No, no. It’s… fine. It… was nice. You just surprised me.” 

_ Great, you idiot. Back to the bumbling buffoon.  _ Ben berated himself. He’d been making such good progress. He had grown used to her touch on his hand, but elsewhere was unexpected. He didn’t know how to process it. He had not been touched so gently, so innocently in so long.

They continued to cook, blend, and, when the soup was ready, they dished up and headed to the table. Ben had missed the sight of her on the other side as he had eaten the rest of his home cooked meals there. He had always eaten his take out on the sofa, yet his upbringing demanded that ‘proper’ food be eaten at the table. When they had started their cooking lessons, it had been instinct, and he suspected the table would never look right without her.

Rey was eating quickly, devouring her bread and not her normal chatty self at all. 

“Are… you ok?” he couldn’t help asking. 

She looked up, mouth full of bread.

“You’re just, quiet?” Ben hadn’t meant for it to come out like a question.

“Food is serious business.” 

“I’m getting that impression.” He responded.

Rey looked back at her bowl, shrinking in on herself as if to avoid his gaze. Ben put his spoon down.

“Rey.” She did not respond. “Rey. You can talk to me.”

She carried on eating, and mumbled out a response.

“Rey, please” he reached across the table, “don’t pull away from me.”

He managed to brush her hand, pulling her gaze towards him.

“No, Ben. I can’t. I can’t talk to anyone.”

“Why?” he could see her eyes begin to glaze with unshed tears. 

“I want to be your friend.” She whispered.

“Don’t friends talk?” While he knew he wasn’t great at having them, Ben did at least understand the basics.

She nodded, “but not about this. I don’t want my friends to think about me that way.”

The tears were beginning to fall now. Ben got out of his seat and moved to the other side of the table, taking the chair next to her.

“Hungry. Scared. Alone.” Her words were barely more than a breath, but he was close enough to hear them. She was searching his face for a response, and Ben hoped all she saw was the care he felt for her. He took her shoulders and pulled her into his chest. 

“Rey. It’s ok. I’m here.” he said, rubbing her back as she cried onto his shirt.

After a few moments, she pulled away, wiping her eyes.

“Please, forget that happened.” she said. “It’s been a rough day.” 

“Sweetheart, no. Tell me. You’re not alone” He still held her hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb as she composed herself.

“I don’t want you to change your opinion of me.” 

“I won’t. I promise.” 

“You can’t guarantee that. Whenever I tell people, they think they understand. But no one truly does”

“Try me? I’ve felt the same.” Ben encouraged her. No one ever understood him either.

Rey nodded, moving back towards her bowl. Ben reached across the table and pulled his to his new seat, not wanting to leave her side.

“You remember me mentioning how I learned to cook? That my parents didn’t cook and we didn’t have much?” 

Ben nodded, focussing on his bowl so as not to overwhelm her with his presence, knowing it was easier to talk sometimes when you weren’t being stared at. She was focused on her own food as well.

“It’s worse than that. I don’t know how my parents ate, but they were so caught up in their addictions that they never noticed me. I had to scavenge for food. I went to bed hungry so many nights.”

She paused, but Ben said nothing. He imagined this was when others she had told jumped in with comments about how awful it must have been, and how sorry they were she went through it, as if they were somehow responsible for her suffering. Ben knew he wasn’t responsible, but he did have some strong feelings towards those who were. Thoughts of tearing them limb from limb featured quite prominently. No child should have to go hungry that way, fending for themselves. It was a miracle she’d made it this far in life, and he would be eternally grateful for her ability to care for herself. Not that he wanted her to have to manage that way anymore.

“I didn’t have lunch today. Someone took ate it. I’ve not had anything since. Whenever I get hungry, it brings it all back. I know I’m safe now, and could have bought myself something else or eaten something when I got home before coming out, but… I just  _ can’t. _ I know I can mange, and I was really looking forward to tonight and that kept me going… whenever I finally get to eat after an episode like that… I’m fairly single minded.” She finished.

Ben continued to eat his soup, trying not to jump in and gather his thoughts. He’d hate to say the wrong thing after she had bared his soul for him.

“That must be hard. I’m glad you look forward to teaching me to cook. I’d hate to feel you were obligated.”

“I do.” Rey said, “Look forward to it, I mean. I don’t go out much, so it’s nice to have something different than come home, cook, netflix bed.”

“I know that feeling. Until you came pounding on my door and bursting into my life, mine was come home, order food, netflix, bed.” He continued, “I’ve felt alone for so long, but I didn’t realise it until you came along. You saw my temper… it can cause issues with making friends. Only one other person has stayed beyond their obligation to me. My relationship with my parents is… it’s not the best.”

He paused to take a breath, wondering why he was suddenly spilling all of this to her. It couldn’t be helping her. She had laid her soul bear, and instead of being there for her, he was doing the same. He finished his soup, now cool from the length of time they had both talked. When he turned his head to look at her, she was staring at him, but didn’t appear any more upset or angry with him for his words.

Her hand reached for his, taking it in her own, rubbing the back of it as he had to hers. 

“Thank you.” Rey said simply, “You’re the first person who hasn’t made me feel more alone when I’ve told them. Well, neither are you. We have one another now.”

The corners of her mouth raised as she spoke. Ben’s lips trembled with emotion. He was so unused to feeling so much. Rey had unlocked that case of emotion within him.

“Sorry, that’s cheesy. I just meant…”

“I know. I understand.” He said simply, and a peace settled over them. He withdrew his hand and reached for her face to wipe away a remaining tear. He cleared his throat. “Anyway, let’s get these cleared up. Don’t we have a dinner party to plan, teach?”

She turned away, coughing slightly as well. “Er, yes, you’re right. Lots to do.”

They both got up and took their bowls to the kitchen, settling into a domestic rhythm that had developed so quickly but naturally. 

-

When everything was arranged for the following week, Ben text Poe and Rey text her friends to let them know what time to arrive. Ben was excited to show off his new skills to Poe and hopefully make some more new friends.

As they stood on the threshold, Rey holding her bag full of boxes of the soup they had made, no longer fighting Ben on giving her them, she gave him a small, sad smile.

“Thanks, again, for listening to me.”

“No problem.” She turned to go, “Rey!” he called to stop her, “Please, promise me something?”

“What?”

“Please don’t go hungry again. If… if what happened today happens again… or you find yourself without a meal… or you’re hungry for any reason… tell me?”

She nodded slightly, “Ok. Goodbye, Ben.” 

“Goodnight, sweetheart.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost there folks! I'm very keen to get this done by the end of the month so I can focus on Nano.


	6. Burned (reprise)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to the amazing ksco for the fantastic moodboard! You’re amazing!!

Rey text him a lot that week. He did not mind at all. She never said she was as hungry as she had been on Friday, but she was updating him on all the little things in her life; what she was doing, her thoughts on the Dark Crystal series, etc. He enjoyed hearing it all, and could only hope she felt similar to what he shared back. 

The plan for the dinner party was for Rey to come round straight after work to help Ben start cooking. They were starting with a soup he would prepare beforehand, a chicken casserole (a much simpler version of his first attempt that started the whole thing off), and end with an apple pie. Ben hadn’t made much in the way of desert so far, so she had suggested he practice during the week. His first attempt came out a little rough around the edges, although Rey’s instructions had been perfect as always, and he wanted to really impress her deciding to make another.

Of course, this left him with the dilemma of what to do with two apple pies. When he asked Rey what to do with them, after explaining he didn’t want to just eat them all by himself, she suggested he take them into his office to share. 

**Rey: ** _ It might even help you find new people to talk to, you must surely be getting sick of talking to me all the time :P x _

He didn’t want to talk to anyone new, but it did give him another idea.

-

The following morning, Ben marched into the office with two pies in two boxes, stacked on top of each other. He left the rougher pie in the break room with a post-it saying ‘eat me’ on it. Sweet treats never lasted long in there. He then continued past his desk to the other side of the office where Hux was staring furiously at his computer screen and placed the box down next to him.

“What the hell is this, Solo?” he asked, eyes barely moving from his screen to take in the box before returning to his work.

“A peace offering. And an invitation. I’m having a dinner party Friday night at 6.30, my place.” 

Hux turned from his screen to stare at Ben, his eyes wide.

“You’re-”

“Don’t answer now. Eat the pie. Throw it away. Whatever. Just - the invitation is there. Just show up if you want to.” Ben stalked off before they could get into an argument over a stupid pie. He was just trying to be nice. He could recognise the loneliness in his eyes because it had been in his own only so recently. What did it hurt to try?

-

When Ben got home from work on Friday, Rey was stood outside his door.

“Hey, stranger,” she joked as he unlocked. He was struck that she looked a little odd, and he realised it was because she wasn’t holding bags of tupperware in his arms.

“Oh, I, er, invited someone else. I don’t know if they’ll show, though.” He said as they went through to the kitchen. 

“That’s fine. We should have plenty.” Rey replied, pulling the ingredients for the casserole from the fridge. Ben put his work bag away, quickly washed up his tupperware bowl from the soup he’d taken into work, and turned the oven on. Rey passed him the vegetables she had started to chop, and began to instruct him on how to throw it together. 

When the casserole was in the oven, Rey reminded him that he should get the pie ready so it could go in when they took the casserole out, and she left to change out of her work clothes. Ben followed her example, dashing to his room as soon as she left and changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a light shirt, rolling the sleeves to his elbows. Smart, but comfortable, he headed to the kitchen to make his third apple pie, but something he was becoming very adept at making.

There was a knock at his door as he was finishing off the pastry lid, and he headed over expecting it to be Rey back from changing.

“That was quicker than…” he was lost for words at the lanky, ginger man stood in front of him.

“Solo.” Hux stated.

“Hux… you came?” 

“Obviously. Now are you going to invite me in?”

“Yeah. Of course.” Ben stood back and let him in. “Please, take a seat. Can I get you a beer?” he called as he went back towards the kitchen.

“Yes,” Hux replied. Ben noticed the awkward shifting of the man, and the stiff way he had sat. He was right; Hux was as uncomfortable and awkward as he was. He hoped he could help him relax and make some new friends this evening. However much they wound each other up, Ben didn’t like seeing the man so lonely.

He grabbed Hux a beer from the fridge, passed it over to him, and started to pull out the soup to reheat. 

Hux sat quietly, sipping his beer.

The soup was starting to bubble away when the door went again. Hux looked around like a frightened rabbit, but Ben dashed over.

This time he opened it to Rey, but also two people he assumed were the friends she had invited.    
“Look who I met on my way back up!” Rey said enthusiastically as she pushed past him, her friends following, before he could say anything. 

“This is Finn, and Rose,” Rey said as she showed them to the sofa, Hux shifting awkwardly in his seat. “What can I get you guys to drink?” 

Ben was still mute by the open door, overcome by her taking over as hostess for the evening. Her friends were replying to her question when Poe’s cheeky face appeared.

“Hey Ben… you ok mate?” he asked looking at his dumbfounded expression, “oh, new friends!”

Poe breezed past him as well, introducing himself to the others. He even got Hux to shake his hand. As Ben finally got his brain working again, he closed the door, and Rey handed a beer to Rose and a red wine to Finn, sitting herself on the chair and joining in with the introductions and small talk that was starting to bubble forth from the gathering. As Ben came to sit next to Rey on the arm of the lounge chair, she handed him another beer she had brought back with her. 

“I turned the soup down. It should simmer ok for another ten minutes, then we’ll be ready to serve. The pie looked great.” She whispered to him beneath the current of the conversation. Poe was even managing to draw Hux into the conversation. Ben nodded, bringing his beer to his mouth, and joining in the story Poe was telling about one of their misadventures as children. 

The group continued to chat and get to know each other, and Rey pulled Ben up with her to check on the soup, leaving them to talk. Neither of them noticed the glances the others’ gave them as they left.

When they entered the kitchen, Ben went to check the soup as Rey pulled the bowls from the cabinet. He dipped the spoon into the broth and brought it to his lips to check it.

“Umph” he dropped the spoon as his lip burned as the soup was hotter than he expected.

Rey whirled round at the sound, and saw him sucking on the burn.

She threw her hands up in exasperation muttering something about “turning her back for only a second” before touching his chin and pulling his lip back out of his mouth to see how badly he was injured.

“There’s nothing there, it was probably just the shock,” she said quietly, still holding his chin and staring into his eyes. Before Ben could think about what he was doing, he closed the distance between them and kissed her. It was a mere peck of her lips before he pulled away. 

“Um, sorry, I’m not sure…” he began, but she pulled his face back to hers and kissed him passionately, the soup bubbling over at the side. She nibbled at his lip and he ran his tongue over hers in return, before separating to draw breath.

“It’s ok. I quite enjoyed it” Rey replied to his earlier comment. “Enough of that for now though, we’ve got guests.” And she handed him the first bowl and ladle that were on the side for him to start dishing up while she asked everyone to move to the dining table.

-

The first course went down well, and Rey cleared the dishes while Ben headed out to get the casserole. Ben wondered how she was able to maintain her composure after such a kiss, as he was struggling to even concentrate on the conversation. As he dished up at the table, Ben’s hand brushed hers as he passed her plate back and he could feel his cheeks redden. Unfortunately, this was when Hux noticed, and he’d had a couple of beers by now.

“You alright there, Solo? What’s with the red cheeks?” Hux asked. Poe immediately stopped telling whatever joke he was sharing with Finn and Rose and looked over.

“Oh, I know that colour” Poe chipped in. Ben glared at him but neither of his friends were to be dissuaded.

“Oh I remember now,” Hux was slurring his words a little, “you fancy this English bird don’t you! You text me about her…”

“Hux…” Ben growled. Rey had started to develop a pink tinge to her cheeks now as well. 

Finn and Rose smiled in glee looking between them. 

“I can find the message, hold on…” Hux pulled out his phone “ _ Help. I’ve got a beautiful girl coming round to teach me to cook tonight and I have no idea what I’m doing.” _

The table fell silent. Ben could feel his anger rising to the surface. He had tried so hard with Hux. Tried to be friendly. Reached out from his own loneliness to bring Hux out of his. And this is how he was repaid? He should have realised that Hux had only showed up to make fun of him and ruin the occasion.

A burst of laughter from Finn broke his attention.

“Hey! We got a similar one!” he exclaimed, pulling his phone out as well. 

“Finn, no!”

“Finn, yes!” Rose encouraged him, grabbing Rey’s arms to stop her knocking the phone out of his hands.

“ _ I finally talked to elevator guy. I’m teaching him to cook. How will I be able to teach him to cook when all I want to do is teach him to f-” _

“DAMNIT FINN!” Rey shouted over the last part of the message. 

The rest of the table just laughed. Even Ben found himself start to smile as he sat with his plate and everyone tucked in to their food.

“So are you going to teach him how to fuck, Rey? He could do with some lessons. I’ve never known him date many people before.” Poe said after a few moments.

Rey gaped at him, but Ben had finally begun to relax. These people were his  _ friends _ , he reminded himself (well the jury was still out on Hux). He could joke with them.

“I may be useless in the kitchen, but I do know my way around the bedroom. Maybe it’s my turn to be the teacher” Ben winked at her. Poe and Hux were stunned, Finn and Rose continued to giggle, but it was Rey’s reaction he wanted the most. 

“Very well, Mr Solo.” she seemed to have recovered from her embarrassment as well. “After all, it wasn’t my nap you disturbed, but a ‘solo’ session of my own. I’d love to try the real thing.”

-

After a very successful dinner, and a few rounds of charades (which became more and more vulgar as the alcohol flowed and the group joked about his and Rey’s budding relationship), Poe, Hux, Rose and Finn left Ben’s apartment. They thanked him for a wonderful evening, and Poe, between making jibes at Ben and Rey having more lessons together, wrapped his arm around Hux’s shoulders and insisted they continue the evening at a nearby bar. 

Ben closed the door and let out a big sigh of relief.

“We’re ok, then?” Rey asked, shifting uncomfortably by his side.

“Come here” he simply said, pulling her into his arms for a bear hug, kissing her hair. “I’m just glad you feel the same way back. You do, right?”

Rey nodded into his chest, and pulled back slightly to look up at him.

“I do.”

“Good.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “Then I’m never letting you go hungry again.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there it is! I hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> I'm so glad I managed to finish this before nano kicks off tomorrow. My project is going to be the most ambitious fic I've ever written (I've won nano before but never for fanfic), and I can't promise to post it during the month, but we'll see.
> 
> Comments and kudos appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos greatly appreciated!


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